


Her Heartbeat

by UsaChan1997



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:14:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23938984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UsaChan1997/pseuds/UsaChan1997
Summary: One year after Emilie Agreste's sudden passing, her family remains at an emotional standstill. Against the wishes of his father, Adrien seeks out the girl from the letter-- the recipient of his mother's heart--Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36
Collections: April 2020 - AU





	Her Heartbeat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jenni215](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenni215/gifts).



> This fic was created for the Miraculous Fanfiction Discord's April Exchange. The theme? AU's! Hope you enjoy the angst and fluff, Jenni!

_“What are you saying?!”_

_Adrien Agreste’s father stood up and advanced on the bewildered doctor, his fists balled tight, teeth clenched and seething with more anger than the boy had ever seen him express. That night had been the worst in both of their lives, and while Adrien had cried himself into a state of numbness, it was the tiny clipboard and a document of release that was Gabriel’s tipping point._

_“M. Agreste, I’m sorry, but this is in accordance with your wife’s wishes, and a girl’s life is at stake—"_

_“You’re already speaking about Emilie like she’s dead,” Gabriel spat, trembling. “And you would have me put some girl over my own…” He trailed off, taking shallow gasps that Adrien, in his detached state, finally registered as sobs. “Over the love of my life?”_

_The doctor’s face remained a mask of calm as she set a hand on his shoulder and guided him back into the seat next to his son. She spoke softly, with sympathy and certainty in equal measure. “I’m sorry, M. Agreste, but for all intents and purposes… she’s gone. I hate to push you, but if you agree, a part of Mme. Agreste will love on. She will change that young lady’s life forever.”_

_There was a long silence in which Gabriel rested his head in his hands. When he raised it, there was no longer any trace of emotion on his face. His voice, too, was a measured monotone as he spoke up. “My wife is—was—the kindest person I have ever known. Out of respect for her,” He grabbed the clipboard, the pen, and scrawled his signature as fast as he could manage, shoving it back in the doctor’s face in disgust. “Do it.”_

_“Thank you. Thank you so much, M. Agreste.” In contrast to Gabriel, the doctor held the clipboard with reverence, a small smile gracing her lips. “You and your wife have done a truly good deed. The young lady and her family will want to thank you as well, I’m sure—”_

_“No.” Gabriel stood up, his eyes glinting like shattered glass in the cold florescent lighting. “Don’t bother informing them of the donor’s identity. I want nothing to do with that girl. Adrien,” Adrien flinched, straightening his posture, surprised to have finally been acknowledged. “we’re leaving.”_

_No sooner had those words left his father’s lips than he had fled the room, and Adrien could only offer a small nod to the doctor before he hurried after. The hallway seemed to warp and twist, and the sound of his mother’s heart monitor grew painfully loud in his ears. He tried to outrun it, to reach out to his father’s back as it grew further away. But his steps were never quick enough._

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

_Beeeeeep._

BEEEP.

“Ugh,” Adrien pulled the covers over his ears, trying, as he did most days, to get his alarm to shut up by sheer force of will. It didn’t work out.

As the vestiges of his dream faded, he sat up, turning it off and combing a hand through his bed-head. Internally, he ran through a foggy list of the day’s obligations, snaking a hand under his pillow to check if his treasure was still there. The envelope.

It was.

Adrien smiled as he brought it to his chest, the pale-blue paper slightly worn from removing and replacing the enclosed letter so many times. Since he’d stolen it from his father’s office two weeks prior, he’d gotten into the habit of reading it every day. A reminder that his terrible personal tragedy hadn’t been a total loss. A simple, heartfelt thank-you. He already knew the message by heart, but there was something calming about drinking in the elegant cursive, about the combination of the sweet words and the beautiful stationary, bordered in true blue bellflowers:

_To the Family of My Donor,_

_I know you wish for your dearly departed to remain anonymous, and for your own identities to stay secret as well. I cannot imagine the pain you must feel, and if you wish to disregard this letter, I’ll respect your choice, and you’ll never hear from me again. Even if that is the case, please allow me to thank you—the gift that your loved one has given me is without equal. I’ve been in the hospital for much of my life, and with their generosity came a precious chance to follow my dreams. With each heartbeat, my gratitude grows, and if your feelings about your anonymity have changed, I would love to pay my respects to my donor in-person. My contact details are enclosed, I hope to hear from you soon._

_With love,_

_Marinette Dupain-Cheng_

Each time he read it, the ever-present hollowness in Adrien’s chest felt filled with warmth. He had been planning—secretly—to seek out Marinette Dupain-Cheng, to meet her. But between modeling, college courses and the Ageste Foundation’s various endeavors, he hadn’t found the time. At least, until now.

“Adrien, are you headed out?”

His father’s assistant, Nathalie, addressed him as shut his door, school bag in hand. Her face was drawn, all harsh angles and prominent lines, and instead of her usual tablet, she was holding a breakfast tray, its contents barely-touched. Seeing as she had probably come from his father’s room, Adrien knew what that meant. He felt a pang in his chest, but ignored it for the time being, meeting her tired gaze with a sunny smile. “Yeah, I’m meeting up with Nino to study. There’s a big physics midterm coming up soon.”

Nathalie arched an eyebrow in scrutiny, and Adrien squirmed a bit. Even though he wasn’t a kid anymore, he was still at the mercy of his father’s wishes, and for the past year, Nathalie had acted as Gabriel’s eyes and ears. If she took issue with his plan, he would be dead in the water. Much to his relief, she waved him ahead. “Go on. Just make sure to be back by this evening for the charity gala.”

“Will do!” Adrien assured her, trying to contain his enthusiasm as he ran up to one of his family’s limousines, purring gently and poised for his escape. “Good morning, Plagg,” he called to the driver, sliding into the backseat.

“Mornin’, kid,” Plagg responded, green eyes shining as he flashed a conspiratorial grin. “We’re clear to rendez-vous with your lady, then?”

“Don’t say it like that, it sounds gross.” Adrien laughed. “But, yeah.”

Plagg gave him a mock-salute and set off. Most of the Agreste’s staff was overly-formal, but Plagg was the exception. He was rough around the edges, and he had a bit of a sarcastic streak. If Emilie hadn’t been so impressed with his sense of humor, Gabriel would never have hired him. But she had, and Adrien was grateful for that. Plagg had never called him ‘M. Agreste’ or ‘young master’ or anything stuffy like that. They always addressed each other by name, talked frankly, and as far as Adrien was concerned, Plagg was the most trustworthy partner for this mission.

As the limo crawled through the busy streets of Paris, the situation began to feel real, and Adrien began to fidget with nervous energy. _Stay calm,_ he reminded himself. _Keep a steady heartbeat, even breaths, smooth that crease in your brow—_

“We’re here.” Plagg told him, pulling the car to a stop about a block away from the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

“W-What?” Adrien’s head snapped up, he hadn’t even noticed that the car had stopped. “O-Oh. Thanks, Plagg.”

Plagg bit his lip, reaching a hand out to tousle Adrien’s hair. “Don’t be nervous, kay? I’m sure Marinette’s a real nice lady.”

Adrien batted his hand away, but he gave a hesitant nod before he left, feeling a little braver. “Yeah.”

This was it. The moment of truth. The bakery wasn’t even that far from his house, and yet, he had never been inside. He would have never known that Marinette Dupain-Cheng, that the recipient of his mother’s heart, was under his nose this whole time. Adrien was so consumed by his thoughts that he didn’t hear the chime of the bell as he crossed the threshold. He didn’t take in the cutesy spring decorations or the neatly laid-out pastries. He was so wrapped up in what he might say when he finally met the girl from the letter that it took him a minute before he heard the soft, pleasant voice calling out to him.

“—scuse me, Monsieur? Are you alright?”

Adrien blinked. When he lifted his head and saw her before him, saw the name stitched into her pink apron, he had to keep himself from audibly gasping. It wasn’t that they looked very similar, Marinette had her long, dark hair tied into pigtails that cascaded over her slim shoulders, and her bright eyes, unlike his mother’s green ones, were the color of the bellflowers perched on the counter. And yet, from the concern in her expression to the dainty way she held a pen to the open sketchbook hastily pushed aside upon his arrival, there was a familiarity to her that made him want to curl up and cry.

In fact, a single, traitorous tear escaped his burning eyelids, tracking a shining path down his cheek. Adrien wiped it away as soon as he realized, but not soon enough to escape her notice. The concern in her gaze turned to outright worry, and it wasn’t long before she was standing in front of him, a packet of tissues in hand. She offered him one, and, barely managing an awkward smile, he took it and turned away.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed, willing his composure to come back as he faced her again. “I mean, thank you for the tissue.”

Marinette nodded, still observing him carefully, as if he were something fragile. “Don’t worry about it,” she grinned. “Can’t help that it’s allergy season, after all.”

 _Allergy season?_ It took Adrien a second to process, but when he realized that she was sparing him any embarrassment for crying openly in front of her, his smile warmed considerably. “Mhm, yep. Allergies.” He dug his hands in his pockets, searching desperately for something, anything, to say to her.

Marinette seemed to notice that, too, but kept her tone casual to lighten the mood. “Would you like anything to eat? I’m a little biased, but I’d suggest the macarons.”

Adrien perked up. “O-Oh, yes! Any particular flavor you like?”

“They’re all good, but I think you should go with the mint. You know, to match your eyes.”

“My… eyes?”

As soon as she saw his look of confusion, Marinette’s face went beet red. Her hand slapped over her mouth and she turned away. “I-I mean, um, aesthetically, your face—er, your eyes—would go really well with green! I’m an art student, so, um, I’m an expert! Kinda…”

Adrien laughed, his face lighting up at her cute, flustered attitude. “Okay, since the expert recommends it, I’ll take a box.” Marinette nodded, looking no less embarrassed as she gathered the cookies. Wanting to smooth things over, Adrien gestured to the open sketchbook, eyes glazed with curiosity. “You said you’re an art student, what are you drawing?”

“Well, um, I’m a fashion design student, to be more specific.” She clarified. “I’m sketching dresses right now, they’re nspired by these bellflowers.”

“Really?” Adrien’s eyes widened, he walked over to take a closer look. The pages were filled with various sketches incorporating the petals, leaves and the famous bell shape of the shop’s decorations. “Woah, these are amazing, Marinette!”

“Y-You know my name?” Marinette blushed again, clasping her hands. Adrien smiled and gestured to her apron. “O-Oh, of course! Anyway, um, thank you for complimenting them. It means a lot coming from you. I was really inspired by the Gabriel Agreste Spring collection from two years ago, you know, the flower-themed one? Who am I kidding? Of course you know—”

“Oh, right, I guess you would know me if you’re into fashion.” Adrien scratched the back of his neck. He had been so immersed in their conversation that he’d forgotten about his semi-celebrity status.

“Of course I know you! You’re Adrien Agreste, you’re a legend!”

Adrien was used to flattery, but hearing Marinette’s compliments hit different. He found himself feeling a bit shy as she handed him the box of macaroons and he handed her his card, acutely aware that there wasn’t much time left in this interaction, even though he wanted to say so much more. His mind began to race, searching for any excuse to see her again, to continue the conversation. When she handed back his card, he placed a gentle hand on top of hers, capturing her gaze. “Marinette.”

“Y-Yes?” She stared back at him, frozen, cheeks dusted pink. Only then did he notice the tiny spotted studs she wore in her ears. For some reason, the adorable detail made his heart ache.

“How would you like a job?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Come join the [ Miraculous Fanfiction Discord ](https://discord.gg/Qkkfy2) for more shenanigans :D


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